Scars
by PennyTheNerd
Summary: Onboard the Pride, the citizens of Menagerie have begun the voyage to Mistral. Knowing the coming battle may very well be their last, Blake invites Ilia to talk privately on the ship’s lookout, hoping to repair her relationship with her childhood friend.


Ilia gazed upon the ocean's blue, feeing a strange mixture of calm and dread, when she heard someone climbing the ladder behind her.

"I'm sorry I'm late. Tonight's training session lasted longer than I thought it would, but at least they're getting better." Blake said, as she finished climbing the ladder to the Pride's lookout. Ilia didn't say anything, still looking upon the calm waters, lost in thought. Blake sat next to her, and after a long moment, finally spoke.

"Do you want to know why I left the White Fang?" Blake asked quietly. Ilia looked at Blake, her mouth slightly opened as if she wanted to say something, but no words left her mouth.

"Adam and I had hijacked an SDC train..." Blake cringed, thinking of her white-haired teammate. "The plan was simple. Kill the drones, steal the dust, get out, no casualties." Regret overcame her face as she spoke.

"But Adam wanted blood. He would've destroyed the train, and everyone on it. It... was an eye-opening moment." Blake was quiet for a few seconds, but she continued.

"After that, I decided I was done. I wanted equality for the Faunus, not to harm innocents. I just wish it didn't take me so long to finally realize that I was doing just that." Blake's head lowered in shame. She took a deep breath, and finished her story. "After that, I jumped on the next train car, cut the cable, and fled."

"You saved the crew." Ilia stated, with a hint of admiration in her voice.

"I did. And after that, I left the White Fang. I vowed that I'd bring equality and acceptance to the Faunus, without taking innocent lives. And this..." Blake removed her coat, exposing the scar on her belly for the world to see.

"...was my reward." Blake said, her face expressionless.

Ilia brought her hand to her mouth, eyes wide in shock at the sight of Blake's wound.

"H-how...?" Ilia hesitantly asked.

"Adam. During the fall of Beacon." Blake responded, the stressed look on her face betraying her emotionless voice.

"Blake, I-I didn't know. I'm so sorry." Ilia said, guilt filling her voice.

"Don't be." Blake said, before smiling. "I'll break his teeth."

Surprise struck Ilia's face, and she began to laugh. Blake quickly joined her, and before long, both had laughed so hard they had tears in their eyes. After finally regaining their composure, Blake spoke.

"I missed this." She said nostalgically. "Just me and you, Remnant's greatest heroes, ready to save the world!"

"To punch the rich, and help the poor!" Ilia cheered, recognizing the familiar speech she and Blake had created as children.

"To save the Faunus!" Blake laughed.

"And to protect those who can't protect themselves!" Ilia said, only for her smile to disappear.

"Guess I haven't really kept up my end of the bargain, have I..." Ilia said sadly.

"There's still time, Ilia." Blake responded.

"Is there? How many people have I hurt, how many lives have I destroyed in the pursuit of 'equality'? Blake, I... I nearly kil-"

"You didn't." Blake interrupted.

"Only because you were there to stop me! Blake... why did you do it? Why save me?" Ilia asked, tears forming in now dark purple eyes.

"Because I've abandoned too many friends through the years. I refuse to let that continue, especially not with you." Blake said. "Ilia, you and I both fell down the wrong path. Yet here we are, going to defend an academy from the White Fang." Blake said, determination strong in her voice.

"Ilia, I'm not angry at you. Not at all." Blake spoke softly, before leaning over to pull Ilia into hug, one which she didn't hesitate to reciprocate.

"I'm just so, so happy you're here now." Blake whispered, as she pulled Ilia even tighter.

They sat there for a while, holding each other close like they were the last two people on Remnant. Though, much to their mutual annoyance, that moment couldn't last forever.

"Hey Blake, we've got a bit of a... dispute going on down here!" A voice yelled. Blake sighed, and hesitantly let go of Ilia, who now seemed much calmer.

"Sun always has the worst timing." Blake half-joked, and stood up.

"Well, I better go see what's going on. We're going to need calm, level heads if we're going to do this." Blake said, clearly annoyed to have been interrupted. "Talk more later?"

"Of course." Ilia happily responded.

Blake smiled, pulled on her coat once more, and descended down the ladder. While she already missed Blake's company, Ilia felt a great weight lift off her shoulders. Blake wasn't angry at her, and instead seemed much more interested in rebuilding their friendship, something Ilia was grateful for. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she felt perfectly content. Though a conversation beneath the Pride's lookout caught her attention.

"This has better be good, Sun. What's the issue?"

"Some idiot suddenly isn't comfortable with the idea of helping humans. He won't stop making a fuss about it."

"Great. I'll go deal with it."

"Be careful, the guy's a bit of a hothead."

"Not unlike someone I know."

"Touché."

After overhearing the brief exchange, Ilia was suddenly reminded of the great challenges still in store. It would be a long, long time before humans and Faunus could safely walk alongside each other as equals, but Ilia knew that day would come. The sounds of someone climbing the ladder behind her caught Ilia's attention.

"Hey!" Sun cheered, his head peeking up in a quite comical manner.

"Oh, um... hi?" Ilia responded awkwardly. She knew next to nothing about the blonde, only that he was a close friend of Blake's... and that Ilia had stabbed him. But Sun either didn't care, or he did a great job of hiding any resentment, since he just politely chuckled in response to Ilia's nervousness. He got up, and sat next to Ilia.

"She's pretty amazing, isn't she?" He stated, more than asked.

"Blake? Yeah, she's pretty amazing." Ilia said, a smile and blush coming to her face. Though the smile slowly faded, as another anxiety crept into Ilia's mind.

"Do... do you... like her?" Ilia asked slowly.

"I mean, I wouldn't be here if I didn't." Sun laughed.

"No, I mean... do you... like her?" Ilia stammered.

"Oh. Well, yeah. But I've been thinking lately, and if I'm being totally honest, I know I'm not what she needs. But I still want what's best for her, so I'll support her unconditionally as a friend, and nothing more." Sun said calmly.

Ilia was surprised at Sun's honesty and openness, especially with someone that he'd only previously encountered in combat.

"So, what about you? Do you like her?" He asked casually. Ilia couldn't stop her cheeks from glowing bright pink, which told Sun all he needed to know.

"Yeah, I figured." Sun laughed.

Sun spoke to Ilia like they'd been friends their entire lives. It wasn't something she'd expected, but she certainly wasn't complaining. It was refreshing, if she was being honest. But then a slight breeze caught Sun's shirt, lifting it enough to briefly reveal a scar near his shoulder. A scar that Ilia caused. Another grim reminder of the pain that she'd inflicted.

"I-I'm sorry." She said quietly, looking at the floor.

"Huh? Oh, this?" Sun said, lifting up his shirt enough to examine the scar. "Eh, I've been hit with worse." He shrugged. "Seriously, there's no hard feelings. Sure, it hurt like hell at the time, but in hindsight, I think it looks pretty cool." He said, admiring his great battle wounds.

There was something about Sun that Ilia couldn't help but be impressed by. There was a warmth and kindness he radiated, that made you feel like you could tell him anything, and he'd never judge you.

"Well, I'm glad I could help?" Ilia said awkwardly. "And thank you." She added a moment later.

"What for?" Sun curiously asked.

"For giving me a chance."

"Blake refused to give up on you. If she trusts you that much, than so do I." Sun placed his hand on Ilia's shoulder, in a reassuring manner. "Welcome to the family, Ilia." Sun smiled.

She didn't know what to say. Just a day ago, she had nearly destroyed everything she'd ever loved. Now, for the first time in years, she had a family.

"You know, now that I think about it..." Sun said with an amused grin, his tail stroking his chin as he went into deep thought. "...I've got a scar, Blake's got a scar, what about you?"

"Well, I've got mental scars. Do those count?" Ilia joked.

"That'll work." Sun chuckled. Sun was proving to be a fast friend, something Ilia was extremely grateful for.

"So, how are the two of you getting along?" A voice asked from behind. Sun and Ilia turned to see that Blake had snuck her way back up to the the ship's lookout to join them.

"Um, how long have you been there?" Ilia asked.

"Bet you twenty lien she's been here the whole time." Sun whispered to Ilia.

"I just got here, actually."

"Crap." Sun blurted out loud.

"I'll take that twenty lien." Ilia laughed.

Blake smiled as Sun handed her the lien. Ilia had been through so much, she deserved to be happy. Blake took a seat next to them.

"The coming fight isn't going to be easy." She said. "But with you two, I think we can make a real difference."

"Yeah." Ilia said quietly, while Sun simply nodded in agreement.

The three stayed there for a long while, staring in silence at the night sky, and the moon's reflection on the calm ocean waters. They all had scars, traumas, and times where they didn't know if they could continue the fight. But now they were a family, and nothing could ever change that.

Ilia couldn't name a time in her life where she felt more tranquil. She didn't know if they'd survive the impending battle at Haven, but she knew that moments like this were more than worth fighting for.


End file.
